Moments after news alerts announced that shots were fired at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday, May 24, the country reacted.
Some were angry; some were devastated; some tried to find someone to blame.
And some — like the agents with Keller Williams Realty — found a way to help.
“We certainly are helping,” said Starr Matthews with the Starr Realty and Ranch Keller Williams office in Uvalde. “A lot of money has been donated to help victims’ families. We are assisting with food, supplies, and feeding law enforcement. I was born and raised in Uvalde. I attended Robb Elementary. This is our family. We’re still numb. We don’t know how we’re doing. It’s still overwhelming.”
The international real estate franchise, which opened its first office in Uvalde in 2020, began immediately donating to a relief fund and continues to coordinate volunteers as the small Texas town in the Texas Hill Country has been turned upside down.
“This has been an unthinkable tragic event that has the community of Uvalde and surrounding areas devastated,” said Wendi Harrelson, Keller Williams Realty regional director, who services Uvalde. “We are housing and feeding 40-plus [Department of Public Safety] and Texas Rangers while they are in Uvalde investigating this massacre … Every KW agent in this office and surrounding offices in Boerne, Castorville, Devine, and Del Rio will be in some way impacted directly from this tragic loss.”
What they didn’t do, however, is offer to pay for the funeral expenses and hospital bills of all impacted in the Robb Elementary School shooting, in which 21 lives were claimed and dozens were injured, as was claimed by many social media users shortly after the shooting occurred.
Keller Williams Cares
The “KW Cares” nonprofit organization “serves Keller Williams and their qualifying family members during times of hardships due to sudden emergencies to ensure that everyone in our KW family feels supported, safe, and valued.”
KW Cares recently clarified that the foundation has not volunteered to pay for all funeral expenses and hospital bills related to the tragedy — but dozens of well-intentioned, inaccurate postings still are being shared.
“Last night, inaccurate information about our response to the tragedy in Uvalde and a request to donate to KW Cares in order to support the local community was posted on social media by a well-meaning individual and has been shared hundreds of times. We want to address this upfront,” KW Cares representatives said in a public statement released May 26. “Though our hearts are broken over this tragedy, all KW Cares guidelines still apply in order to qualify for financial assistance. Should a KW team member who is impacted by the shooting need assistance, we will respond immediately. Local businesses are covering the costs of funeral expenses, and thousands of organizations are responding nationwide. We join you and all of them in mourning with the families and educators in Uvalde.”
Those wishing to help are encouraged to donate through San Antonio Area Foundation’s Uvalde Strong campaign.
